Switch operating device



May 26, 1931. R. POPF 1,806,821

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE Filed March 18. 1929 2 Sheets-Shuet l May 26, 1931. a PQPP 1,806,821

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE Filed March'l8. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT ,orncn 4 RUDOLF rorr, or vALPAnAIso, INDIA A, AssIGNon T MCGILL MANUFACTURING ,coMrAN A CORPORATION or INDIANA 7 swrrcn OPERATING nEvrcn 1 Application filed March 18, 1929 Serial No. 348,509. r

- My invention relates to switch operating devices, and more particularly to mechanism for operating a switch which has a movable contact carrying member that is adapted to be rotated step by step in a direction to make the various contacts necessary for the switch operations.

My switch operating mechanism is shown as applied to a switch of the type shown in the patent to Victor Despard, No. 1,669,372, for multiple series switch.

It is the principal purpose of this invention to provide a device of this character wherein the parts are so constructed as'to reduce the danger of the mechanism breaking down or operating incorrectly to a minimum.

' ployed; and

It is also a purpose of this invention to provide in a device of this character a novel means for giving the step by step rotation of the switch contacts from a reciprocating lever.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred form of the invention is shown. It'is obvious, however, that various modifications may be made without departing from the scopeof the invention as indicated in the accompanying claims. In the drawings,' 7 Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a switch showing my improved operating mechanism Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the switch; Fig.3 is ahorizontal sectional view; Fig. 4: is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1 Fig. 5 is a side view of. the operating lever and pawl associated with the ratchet;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the ratchet wheel cm- Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cover member which holdsthe switch operating elements in position.

Referring now in detail toithe drawings,

I show at 10 a support such as is used in mounting lighting fixtures upon a ceiling,

and this support has mounted thereon the switchll, which, as shown, is recessed at 12 .with a circular recess, and has within the recess a shoulder 13 which, as. shown more clearly in the patent hereinbefore referred with the stationary contacts.

to, is made up of a series of ratchet faces,

certain of which have contracts, such as indicated at 14c, thereon, which are adapted to be connected to the source of'current supply and the current consumption devices, such as lamps.

CO-Operating with the stationary contacts 14 are bridging contacts, such as indicated at 15, which are adapted to be rotated within the recess 12 to make various combinations These bridging contacts are supported by an insulating disk 16 which is slotted at 17 to receive the depending portion 18 of a switch operating member 19. This member 19 is, as shown in Fig. 1, made of a fiat piece of metal and is provided with shoulders at 20 and 21 to support the ratchet'wheel 22. V The projections 23 on the member 19 extend into correspond ing slots 24 in the ratchet wheel so as to nonrotatably secure it to the member 19. Superposed upon the ratchet wheel 22 is an operating pawl or lever 25 which has thereon a de pending tooth 26 adapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchet'wheel when moved in one direction, but provided with a sloping surface, as at 27, whereby when moved in the opposite direction it may slide over the teeth of the ratchet wheel by forcing the lever 25 upwardly away from the wheel. As shown by Fig, 3, there are a plurality of the teeth 26, spaced substantially opposite each other, for engagement with the ratchet teeth.

The member 25 is turned up at the center thereof to provide a circular bearing portion 28, and also has extending therefrom a lever arm 29 provided at its end with the two upturned flanges 30 and 31 that are bent over toward each other at the top, leaving a nar row slot 32 between their free edges. 7 The member 31 is also slotted at 33 so that a pull chain, such as indicated at 34, may be til the cover member 40, which cover member, as shown, extends over the ratchet mechanism and is spaced therefrom to provide room for the coiled spring 37. The cover member is also provided with an outwardly extending portion at 41 which cooperates with the wall 42 to form an aperture 43 through which the chain 34 may extend. The purpose of this is to form a guide for the operating chain which will prevent it from being thrown over, due to the action of the spring which will be hereinafter described, to such a position as to render it inoperative for moving the lever arm 29 in a clockwise direction, as is required to operate the switch contacts.

I The top portion of the member 40 is pro vided with a central aperture and depending lugs,such as indicated at 44 and 45,which lugs are adapted to grip the square head 46 of a tubular guide member 47 which extends down about the upwardly projecting end of the member 19 and forms an inner bearing surface for the upwardly projecting flange 28 on the member 25. The lugs 44 and 45, as shown, are simply crimped underneath the head 46', and thus hold it firmly in position. This head 46 receives the upper end 48 of the spring and thus holds this one end of the spring stationary.

In a switch of this character, the bridging contacts, of course, must be pressed firmly into engagement with the stationary contacts, and to accomplish this I provide on the exterior of the switch housing the spring 50, which is secured firmly in place at its base, by riveting or other suitable means, to the switch cover. The spring 50 has a horizontally extending portion 51 which projects over the top of the member 19 and bears downwardly thereon so as to press the contacts 15 against the stationary contacts 14 of the switch, y

The peration of the device is as follows:

The spring 37 is preferably placed under tension when it is secured at its opposite ends, so that its tendency is to force'the pawl member 25 in a counter-clockwise direction to a limiting position, bringing the projection 38 against the wall 39 of the cover 4.0. Now, by exerting a pull on the chain 34, the lever arm 29 will be moved in a clockwise direction, causing the teeth 26 to engage the ratchet teeth of the wheel 22, and turn this wheel, together with the member 19 and the bridging contacts 15, in a clockwise direction. When the pull chain is released, the

spring 37, of course, exerts a force tending to return the member 25 to its original position. The spring 37 also permits the member 25 to rise slightly so that the teeth 26 will slide over the ratchet-wheel teeth and, permit the member 25 to turn independently of the ratchet wheel until it again reaches its limiting position with the projection 38 engaging the wall 39.

The back lash of the chain 34 sometimes has a tendency to throw it over the switch so that it would be improperly positioned to give a clockwise pull upon the arm 29, and to avoid this, the guide aperture 43 is provided in the cover member 40 so that, irrespective of the back lash due to letting loose of the chain suddenly, the chain will always re main in the proper position for actuating the arm 29.

The spring 37, it will be noted, serves the dual function of returning the lever 29 to the proper position after each step of the switch movement and of holding the member 25 yieldingly in engagement with the ratchet wheel 22 at all times.

An examination of the parts of this switch operating mechanism also discloses that they are of metal stampings, which can be .made rapidly and at a minimum of expense, with the exception of the chain and the spring 37 which, of course, are standard articles and made in large quantities at a comparatively low price. This makes the construction one which can be made at a low cost and which is yet fully satisfactory for its purpose and having few parts that may become damaged or inoperative during the life of the switch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch having a rotatable contact carrying member, means for rotating said member comprising a stem having operative connection with said member, a ratchet wheel rotatable with said stem, a pawl pivoted about said stem and slidable toward and away from said ratchet wheel, a spring yieldingly urging said pawl toward said ratchet and toward one limiting position, and a lever arm on said pawl for moving said pawl away from. said limiting position, and a spring, member extending over said stem and pressing the same toward said contacts.

2. In a device of the character described, a switch having a rotatable member, ratchet and pawl mechanism for rotating said member step by step, a lever arm operatively associated with said mechanism, a flexible pull member attached to said lever for operating the same, and means carried by said switch providing a guide for said pull member said means comprising a frame. member for the switch mechanism having a loop through which said pull member extends.

3. In a device of the character described, a switch having a rotatable member, ratchet and pawl mechanism for rotating said member step by step, a lever arm operatively associated with said mechanism, a flexible pull member attached to said lever for operating the same, a frame member on said switch holding said mechanism in position, said said rotatable member.

5. In a device of the character'described,

a switch having a rotatable member, ratchet and pawl mechanism for rotating said member step by step, a lever arm operatively associated with said mechanism, a flexible pull member attached to said lever for operating the same, a frame member on said switch having a portion projecting over said mechanism and carrying a guide sleeve for said rotatable member, said pawl having means cooperating with said guide sleeve to position said pawl.

6. In a device of the character described, a switch having a rotatable member, ratchet and pawl mechanism for rotating said member step by step, a lever arm operatively associated with said mechanism, a flexible pull member attached to said lever for operating the same, a frame member on said switch having a portion projecting over said mechanism and carrying a guide sleeve for said rotatable member, said frame member having a guide aperture formed on the exterior thereof to receive said pull member.

7. In a device of the character described, a switch having a rotatable member, ratchet and pawl mechanism for rotating said member step by step, a lever arm operatively asso ciated with said mechanism, a flexible pull member attached to said lever for operating the same, and a resilient member mounted on said switch and engaging the end'of said rotatable member to press it toward said switch.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of February, A. D.

RUDOLF POPP. 

